In 1940 at the age of 15, Hawke played first grade for the Queanbeyan Blues rugby league team and Queanbeyan TigersAustralian football team. After leaving school, he started work at Commonwealth Government Printing Office. He transferred to the Eastlake Football Club as many of the Printing Office staff played for that club. He won Eastlake's best and fairest award in 1945 and in 1946 he captained the team. Eastlake lost the 1946 Grand Final after being undefeated during the year. Hawke played for the Queanbeyan Blues in 1946 but transferred to play in Canberra in 1947. In 1948, he received several inducements to leave but remained playing in the local competition for 6 pounds per week. During 1948, Hawke was selected for Monaro, Country and New South Wales. He used up all his leave entitlements from the Printing Office and as a result did not have any leave left to play in the final selection game, New South Wales versus Queensland in Brisbane. Even though his leave application was rejected, he went and played in the game but the consequence was that the Printing Office dismissed him on his return to work. Hawke was selected for the 1948-49 Kangaroo tour and left Canberra in August 1948 with a gift of just over 10 pounds from the Canberra Rugby League. He played four Tests against Great Britain and France. During the tour, as five-eighth and centre, he scored 11 tries and played 23 out of the 37 games.
Sydney
Upon the tour's return, he signed with the St. George Dragons for the 1949 NSWRFL season and was appointed captain at the age of 24. In the 1949 semi-final against South Sydney, he suffered a broken upper jaw and cracked teeth after a heavy tackle by Jack Rayner. He remained on the field and set up the winning try to winger Ron Roberts. Three weeks later, he led the Saints to premiership victory and played a leading role in the 19-12 Grand final win over South Sydney. Mid-season 1949, he had made the Kangaroo tour to New Zealand and another Test appearance. In 1950, he was in the running for the Ashes series captaincy but injured his knee in the visiting Great Britain national rugby league team's tour match against New South Wales at the SCG which drew a record crowd of over 70,419 and made no further rep appearances that year. He made a career total of six state representative appearances for New South Wales and captained the side. Hawke captained-coached St. George in the premiership seasons of 1951 and 1952, and in 1951 made his final test appearance against France. In 1952, he suffered a slipped disc that led to him being in plaster from neck to thighs. Injury led to his career at St. George being curtailed at the end of the 1952 NSWRFL season.
